Automatic railway-grade-crossing gate.



R. J. DAVIES; Jn. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GRADE CROSSlNG GATE.

0 1 9. 1 Ow 2% at UN E dw W H AU 1.! a P APPLICATIQN FILED OCT. 3. 1916.

Hi 5 aktozywq R. J. DAVlES, JR. AUTOMATIC RAfLWAY GRADE CROSSING GATE.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. 19l6.

Hi 5 61mm;

R, J. DAVIES, JR- AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GRADE caossme GATE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. I916. 1 ,283,439, Patented Oct. '29, 1918.

3 s HE'ETs-sHzEp 3.

RmhaPd J Davwslh AUTOMATIC BAILWAY-GBADE-CBOSSING GATE.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented @ct. 29, 1918 Application filed October 3, 1916. Serial No. 123,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rrcmnn Jomv DAVIES, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Weehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Railway-Grade- Crossing Gates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention. relates to an improved operating and controlling mechanism for gates used at railway grade crossing's, and has particular reference to a gate which may be closed by the approach of a train, and which is automatically raised after the train passes the crossing.

It is an 'object of the present invention to provide an automatic gate-controlling mechanism of this character which is 'operated and controlled by electricity and compressed air.

The invention has for another object the provision of a mechanism of this character which may be applied to a double track sys tem, wherein the operative parts are located upon either side of the double track, and wherein the tracks themselves are made part of a shunt circuit, the shunt circuit being adapted to close the gate when closed by either the passage of the train over the tracks or by the breakage of the wires, and

the consequent short circuiting of the same.

The various objects and advantages of this invention will be more particularly brought out in the followin etailed description of the present pre erred embodiment of the invention, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a doubletrack railway, showin diagrammatically the various circuits an operative parts of the improved controlling and operating system.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of one of the gates and the adjacent mechanism for operating the same, the mechanism being shown as located in a separate compartment below the ground level, and the valves and their operating means being shown incased.

Fig. 3 is a similar view enlarged, showing certain parts in section, and showlng the gate in raised position.

Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged diagrammatic view of the circuit for controlling and operating one of the gates;

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view of one of the valvecontrolling solenoids, and the valves connected to the opposite ends of the core thereof.

Referrin to these drawings, wherein like parts are esignated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, A and B designate the right and left-hand tracks of a railway, each being provided with an insulated section O extending a distance of substantially one mile in advance of the grade crossing. The insulated section G of each track is formed by the provision of insulated rail joints 10 and 11.

At each side of the grade crossing there is provided agate D and its controlling and operating mechanism. As shown in Fig. 1, wherein but one of the gates D is disclosed, the gate is pivoted upon a standard 12 and is provided with a counter-weight 13 adapted to normally urge the gate D into raised position. Beneath the standard 12 is 10- eated a cylinder 14 in which is mounted a piston 15 havin a piston rod 16 extending upwardly there rom and connected to the weighted end 13 of the gate by means of a link 17. The cylinder 14 is adapted to receive compressed air for urging the piston 16 upwardly and thus swing the long arm of the gate D down to closed position. A compressed air reservoir 18 is connected by a feed pipe 19 to the lower end of the cylinder 14. A pump 20 is connected by a pipe 21 to the reservoir 18 and is adapted to compress air therein. The pump 20 is driven preferably by direct current through wires 22 and 23. The wire 23 leads to a relay 24 which is connected by wire 25 and to a pressurecontrolledautomatic circuit closer 26. The contacts of the circuit closer 26 are connected, one by wire 27 to the relay 24, and the other contact by wire 28 to the source of direct current supply. As shown to advantage in Fig. 4, the wire 27 leading from the circuit closer 26 connects to the lead 23 from the pump 20. The wire 28 which leads from the circuit closer 26 is connected to a contact 29 adapted to be engaged by an armature 30 when the relay 24 is energized. A sprin 31 normally holds the armature 30 out o engagement with the contact 29.

An inlet valve E is disposed in the pressure feed pipe 19, and an exhaust valve F is interposed in an exhaust pipe 32 which leads from the lower end of the cylinder 14. These valves E and F, are alternately opened and closed by a solenoid G which is connected to the valves. As shown to advantage in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the solenoid Grcomprises a casing having a coil 33 therein having direct current wires 34 and 35 leading from the ends thereof. The solenoid is provided with a core 36 provided upon one end with a helical spring 37 adapted to normally urge the core 36 in one direction. The valves E and F are similar in construction, and are located at the opposite ends of the solenoid G. Each valve comprises a central tube 38 provided with a web or partition 39 intermediate its ends to divide the tube into opposite 'end compartments. The tube 38 is also provided at opposite sides of this web 39 with relatively large ports 40. A cylinder 41 is slidably mounted upon the tube 38 and is of less length than the same. The

cylinder 41 is provided with an annular.

chamber and an inner cylindrical wall 42 having openings therein corresponding in size to the openings 40 in the tube 38. The cylinder 41 is adapted to be shifted upon the tube 38 into position to register the openings of the cylinder with those of tube 38 Y and thus permit of a free passage through the tube 38 into the cylinder 41, and out the latter into the opposite end of the tube 38. The sliding of the cylinder 41 is adapted to move the opening out of register and thus bring the inner cylindrical wall 42 of the cylinder over the openings 40 and close the tube 38. The core 36 of the solenoid is provided upon its opposite ends with fork-arm connections 43 which pass against the opposite sides of the tube 38 and are connected thereat to the cylinder 41. The valves E and F may be mounted upon pairs of standards or posts 44 which may be apertured for the reception of the opposite ends of the tube 38, and thus are provided with passages 45 therethrough terminating in attaching nipple 46 to which the inlet and outlet sections of the feed and exhaust pipes may be connected. The valves E and F, and the solenoid G are shown in Fig. 5 as being supported upon a single baseboard 47 The wire 34 at one end of the solenoid G is connected to the main lead 22 of the source of direct current. The opposite wire 35 of the solenoid leads to an armature 48 of a relay 49. The armature 48 is adapted to en age a contact 50 of wire 28 of the source 0 direct current supply. The relay 49 is included in a main controlling circuit formed of the wires 51 and 52 which are carried to the opposite sides of the tracks A and B, and are closed through a second relay 49 located at the opposite side of the track. This second relay 49 is adapted to control the operation of a second gate D, not shown inthe drawxciters 53, preferably of the gravity or bluestone type, adapted for closed circuit aaaaae work, are connected to the wires 51 and 52 adjacent to each relay 49. These exciters or batteries 53 are adapted to normally main-' tain a closed circuit through the relays 49 and thus energize the same. When the relay 49 is energized the armature 48 thereof is retracted against the'tension of spring 54 away from the contact 50 to thus maintain the solenoid circuit, or the valve-controlling circuit, open. The main relay circuit is adapted to be shunted or closed by the assage of a 'train over the track A or B. ach insulated section C has the outer rail 55 thereof connected by line wire .56 with the wire 51 of the relay circuit. The inner rail 57 of each insulated section 0 is connected by wires 58 to the wire 52 of the relay circuit. From Fig. 1 it will be noted. that it is preferable to make the wires 58 in one continuous conductor or length of wire, and to connect the same intermediate its ends to the relay wire 52.

If desired, each gate D may be provided intermediate its length with a visual signal 59 in the form of an electric light the current to which may be supplied through the wires 60 which are carried along the gate D, down the standard 12, and in any suitable manner to the ground and to the source of electric energy. It is designed to control a circuit through the wires 60 by means of an electric time clock 61 of the ordinary type now in use and which is controlled by an electric time-controlling station, the wires 52 leadin from the latter into the time clock 61. The time clock 61 is adapted to close the circuit 60 and maintain it closed for a certain period of time, .such as for instance during the hours of darkness, and to maintain the circuit through the wires 60 open 105 during daylight. i

The electric operated pump 20 is adaptedto automatically maintain .the air pressure in the reservoir 18 at a predetermined pressure at all times.- This result is accom- 110 plished by the use of the above-described a paratus and circuits which operate in t e following manner: When the arm of the indicator 26 moves to the left, due to decrease in air pressure in the tank 18,.a cir- 115 cuit is closed from the main lead 28 through the indicator 26, wire 25, solenoid 24, wire 23 .to motor, and back to the main lead 22. The closing of this circuit starts the motor 20 and at the same time energizes the sole- 120 noid'or relay 24. The armature 30 of the relay is drawn against contact 29 so that the wire 28, armature 29 and contact 30 are included as a branch through the said circuit.

As soon as the arm of the indicator 26 125 leaves the left-hand or low pressure contact the circuit through the motor 20 is not interrupted as the current continues to flow from wire 28 through contact 29, armature 30, and thence through the relay 24 to the 130 messes motor. As soon as the arm of the indicator 26 reaches the opposite or high-pressure contact,-the current travels through wire 28, contact 29, armature 30, wire 25, indicator 26, and through shunt wire 27 to the motor 20, excluding the relay 24 so that the latter is denergized and the spring 31 retracts the armature 30 from the contact point 29. This latter operation breaks the circuit and the motor 20 is then brought to a stop. The motor 20 remains inert until the pressure gage 26 drops to the low-pressure contact when the above operations again take place. When a train on the track A approaches the gate D, it enters the insulated section C and through the rails 55 and 57 and the axles of the train, closes the shunt circuit through the wires 56 and 58 and the exciters 53, deenergizing the relays 49. The springs 54 now urge the armatures 48 against the contact 50 and close the valve operating circuit at each side of the track. When the valveoperating circuit isclosed, the solenoid G draws its armature 36 inwardly against the tension of the spring 37 and shifts the valve cylinders 41 of the valves E and F. This operation closes the outlet valve F, and opens the inlet valve E in the manner above described. Air 'under pressure 'from the reservoir 18 passes through the pipe 19, the yalve E, and into the cylinder 14. The air in the. cylinder 14 lifts the piston 15 and, by means of the link 17 swings the gate D down into closed position. As soon as the train leaves the insulated section C ofthe track, the track shunt circuit is opened and the battery 53 again energizes the relay 49, and causes the armature 48 thereof to leave the contact 50 and open the valve-operating circuit. The breaking of the valve-operating circuit deenergizes the solenoid G and the spring 37 thereof immediately forces the armature 46 in an opposite direction to shift the cylinders 41 of the valves into normal position and close the inlet valve E. Simultaneously, the outlet valve F is open to permit the air in the cylinder 14 to escape through the exhaust valve 32 into the atmosphere. The weight 13 on the inner end of the gate D is adapted to overcome the frictional engagement of the piston 16 in the cylinder 14 and swing the gate upwardly into open position.

' When the solenoid G shifts the valves E and F into position to close the gate D, the action of the air in the cylinder 14 is relatively quick and it is preferable to provide the devlce with an audible signal adapted to be actuated prior to the closing of the gate. In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings there is shown, somewhat diagrammatically, the installation of an audible signal in close proximity to the gate D and its mechanism. It

is .preferable to sink all of the gate mech-- anism beneath the surface level of the ground, and to inclose the same in a compartment or cellar H, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3. In the compartment H there may be placed a battery or exciter 63 having wires 64 thereof leading upwardly from the compartment through a conduit 65 to the bell 66, or other audible signal which may be located above the surface of the ground. The conduit 65 is provided near the ground, with a branch pipe 67 through which the wires 64 from the battery and the signal may be carried for suitable connection with the track. The connection with the track may be made at any suitable point, and it is preferable to sound the audible signal 66 at least one minute prior to the closing of the gate D.

It is of course understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the above specifically described embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention, such'changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gate closer, the combination of a normally-closed circuit including a relay, an operating circuit having a shunt including said relay and a solenoid, and adapted to be closed upon the deenergization of the relay, a core for the solenoid, pneumatic op erating mechanism connected to the gate and including a cylinder, a storage tank, and an air-line having a valve therein, a connection between said valve and the core of the said solenoid, and means included in said operating circuit for maintaining a constant pressure of air in said tank.

2. In a gate closer, a reservoir adapted to contain compressed air, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a gate connected tosaid piston and adapted to be operated thereby, a supply pipe leading from said reservoir to the bottom of said cylinder, an exhaust pipe leading from the bottom of said cylinder, an inlet valve located in said supply pipe, an exhaust valve located in said exhaust pipe, a solenoid arranged between the valves and having 'a movable armature connected to said valves to alternately open and close the same, a spring connected to said armature to yieldingly hold the valves 1n positlon to maintain air in said cylinder and hold the gate open, and an electric circuit including the solenoid for energizing the same to shift said valves into opposite positions and to release the air from said cylinder to close the gate.

RICHARD J. DAVIES, JR. 

